Author : Mikhail Gorbachev
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 023150019X
Total Pages : 450 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)
Book Synopsis Gorbachev by : Mikhail Gorbachev
Download or read book Gorbachev written by Mikhail Gorbachev and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 1999-10-20 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last president of the Soviet Union discusses Communism, the Cold War, and bringing democracy to Russia in this sweeping political memoir. Drawing on his own experience and rich archival material, Mikhail Gorbachev shares his illuminating perspective on Russia's past, present, and future place in the world. Beginning with the October Revolution of 1917, he notes how much Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party did to modernize Russia. While he argues that the Soviet Union had a positive influence on social policy in the West, Gorbachev maintains that this positive development was cut short by Stalinist totalitarianism. Discussing the fall of the USSR in depth, Gorbachev examines the goals of perestroika, awakening ethnic tensions, the inability of democrats to unite, and his own attempts to preserve the union through reform. In retracing those fateful days, he explains the origins of Russia's present crisis. He then lays out a blueprint for Russia’s future, charting a path toward meaningful economic and political reforms. He also presents possible resolutions to a number of international dilemmas, including NATO expansion, the role of the UN, the fate of nuclear weapons, and environmental problems